


Mascot

by dagas isa (dagas_isa)



Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, Protector of the Small - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Animal POV, Gen, Pets, my dog is smarter than your honors student
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-05
Updated: 2010-09-05
Packaged: 2017-10-11 12:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/112419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dagas_isa/pseuds/dagas%20isa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jump makes up his mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mascot

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song "A Little Respect" by Erasure

Perhaps Jump should just stay here.

Daine, the two-legger who was also People, gave his head a friendly scratch. She knew his name and his age, and though her healing fire had burned for a bit, his belly felt better than it had in…well as long as he could remember, though that might have been an effect the nice meal he had this morning too. She had a spot for him too in her entourage—amongst the baby dragon, the marmoset, two or three cats, and several birds.

No, Jump thought, his mind was already made up. This Daine was nice and all—and she understood him in a way that his new two-legger never could—but he wanted to be his own dog not part of a Wild Mage's menagerie. He wanted to be special.

_I'm going._ Jump announced.

_Back to Kel?_ Daine said. With the sound of the name, she brought to his brain the image of his new two-legger and her scent of leather, steel, and soap. He wagged his tail. Yes. Kel. The name had a ring to it. Jump and Kel. Daine smiled. _You'll have to be careful._

_She thinks she doesn't want me. But I can win her over._ Jump knew he could. He charming and clever if not overly groomed like a noble's lapdog. His new two-legger didn't need pretty in a dog. She needed a certain toughness, a certain scrappiness that could keep up with an active lifestyle on the palace grounds. And Jump was just that dog. She only needed to see it.

_No. It's not Kel you have to worry about, but Lord Wyldon._ That name called to mind a picture of a stiff-looking two-legger male. _Pages are forbidden from having pets. If he finds out that Kel is taking care of you, she'll be punished._

So it's this Wyldon two-legger that he needed to worry about. And something about 'pages' which must be what his human was. They couldn't have pets, but what about the group as a whole. What if he worked his charm on this Wyldon fellow? Then he wouldn't care if a friendly stray just happened to sleep in Kel's room or eat her scraps. He wouldn't be her pet; he'd just be the mascot. Jump would bet the rules didn't forbid those. And what about those horses? He'd bet they were even more trouble than dogs, but plenty of those were kept around the palace. _It's a silly rule,_ he said at last. He made up his mind.

He heard Daine's amusement in his head. _Two-legger rules often are. I wish you the best of luck._

_Thanks._ Jump trotted away. He needed to go greet his new best friend and tell her the good news. He wasn't out of her life just yet.


End file.
